Spring-tire.



H. M. LAMBERT.

SPRING TIRE. APPLICATION man 11u20. 1912. nsNEwED 1u1Y15. 1915.

' 1,171,214. Patented 111111111916l 2 sains-sneu 1.

WITNESSES `Wk-NTO ci" r l /Z /a /Z v SPRING TIRE. v APPLICATIN FILED HAY 20, |912- RENEWED JULY I5, m15.

2 SHE| UNITED STATES PATENT HENRY MILLER LAMBERT, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, vASSIG'NOR TO LAMBERT MLTI- y PLUS COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, .A CORPORATION OF ARIZONA.

srnI'NG-TIBE.

. Specication of Letters Iatent.

Patented Feb. s, 1916.

Appneaaen mea may 2o, 1912, serial Ne. 698,494. Renewed July 15, 1915. serial Ne. ,4o,124.

nomah and State of Oregon, have ,invented A; a. new Improvement in .Sprlng-'Tirea of4 which the following is a exact description. v

ull,` clear, and

My inventlon 1s an rimprovement in spring.

tires, and has for its object to provide a tire of the character specified, which whlle having a large amount of resiliency will not be injured by puncture, and wherein means is provided for permitting the resiliency of the tire to be varied.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a partlal longitudinal section of a tire constructed in accordance with the invent1on. Flg. 2 is a Section on the line 2 2 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 1s a section on.,the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the nuts, and, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one ofthe sections of the sectional casing.

In the present embodiment ofthe vinvention, the felly 1 of the wheel is of usual constructiomand has seated on the outer face thereof, a metallic felly band 2, and a r1m band 3 is seated on the felly band 2. Therim band 3 is provided with a .plurallty of pairs of transverse guideways, each guideway consisting of an overlying fiange 3,

. said iianges being transverse to the rim band 3 and the felly.

, he felly band 2 is of steel, and is secured rigidly to the wooden fellies forming the elly 1. The rim band 3'vis also-of steel, itf-A ting snugly over the band 2, but arranged to be slipped off or on as desired.' A steel rim ring or flange 4 is arranged at each-side of the rim band 3, and each rim ring is secured to the rim band, by means of angle lugs 5. Each angle lug consists of two portions at right angles to each other and one of the said portions is riveted to the rim band 3 by means of rivets 6, while the other angle portion is secured to the adjacent rim plate by means of a screw 7 Each screw 7 is passed through the outer side of the rim ring, and

the rim ring is countersunk as shown in Fig. i

end. And the said fillers are arranged in a particular` position with respect to the wheel,as will appear later.

A rubber tread 12 is vulcanized onto the casing 10, and the said casing l0 is provided at each side edge with a lateral flange 10, which extends inwardly toward the felly, and is connected to the rim rings or anges 4 in a manner to be presently described.

A series of sectional casings is arranged between the rim band 3 and the belt 8, and a similar series is arranged between the belts 8 and 9. Each of the sections of the said casings (Figs. 1, 2 and 6) is composed of a sheet of metal 13 having its side edges bent inwardly upon the sheet, as shown at 14, and thence laterally from the sheet to form spaced parallel lianges 15. A vfilling block 16 is arranged between the anges 15, and is 'center and' decreases -in thickness toward its secured .thereto by rivets 17. Each of the said blocks is of greatest ,depth at its centerand is inclined toward each of its ends, as is shown in Fig.- 6. `That is each of the said The sections are arranged with the free `.edges of the flanges 15 in contact, and one section of each casingof the series between the rim band 3 land thel belt 8 is held by the guideways 3a before mentioned. The doubled-over portion of the sheet forming each i section of the casing provides a laterally extending-flange 14a for engaging beneath the overlying flange or guideway 3, and the casingl sections are held in place in this manner. Y

Each of the outer sections of the casin s of the series between rim band 3 and be t 8, and both sections of the series of casings arranged vbetween belts 8 and 9 issupported .by a channel plate comprising a body 20 and side edges or flanges 19. Eachof the said sections is seated between the flanges 19 of the channel plate, and an arc-shaped v ermost series adjacent to the belt 9, aresecured to the said plate by means of rivets 2 1. The casings just described are arranged 1n vspaced relation, and the outermost series of casings, that is that series between belts 8 and 9, is arranged in staggered relation with respect to the innermost series, that is the series between rim band 3 and belt 8. The yfilling plates 11, before mentioned, are varranged between each pair of casings of the outermost series, and the free edges of the said plates'extend adjacent to the sides 19 of the channel plates.

A bolt 24 is arranged in the grooves 18 of the sections of each casing, and the ends of the said bolt are threaded in opposite directions, as shown at 25 in Fig. 2. A nut 26 is arranged in each end of each casing, and each of the said nuts is provided with a longitudinal threaded opening for engagementV by the adjacent threaded'end of the y rod 24. Each of the said nuts is rectangular in cross section, and each nut engages with opposite faces the inclined faces of the block 16-of the sections of the casing. The said faces of the nut are also inclined, that is the said faces incline toward each other toward the inner end of the nut.

Each nut is provided with a circular opening or recess 27 in its outer end, into which extends the extremity of the adjacent end of the rod 24, and each ofthe said extremities 28 is polygonal in crosssection, to permit it to be engaged and turned by a tool. It will be evident that when the rod 24 is threaded in either direction, vthe nuts 26 connected therewith will be moved toward or from the `center of the rod. Each of the'nuts engages within the opening and having a lateral flange 30. The section is provided with a central opening, and the outer section 31 is threaded into the said opening. The said outer section 31 is provided with an annular flange 32 engaging the outer face ofthe casing 31 at the opening, and the said outer section is also provided with an opening 33 polygonal in cross section for receiving a tool,

to release the said section to permit access to the adjacent bolt 24. The button sections may be secured to the casing flange in any suitable manner. The inner 4edges of the flanges 10a of the casing are held to the rim rings or flanges 4, by means of rings 34, each of which is semi-circular in cross section, and of annular form. Each of the rings 34 is arranged on'the inner edge ofthe adjacent flange, and screws 35 are passed through each ring, the inner edges of the adjacent flange, and engage the adjacent rim ring 4. Each of the rim rings 4 is provided with openings in alinement with the bolts 24 of the innermost series of casings, in order to permit access to the said bolts to turn the same. The sections of each casing coperate to form what is in fact a split sleeve, and the nuts and the bolt- 24 constitute a means for expanding or contracting the sleeves.

It will be evident that the resiliency of a wheel constructed in accordance with the improvement may be adjusted in accordance with the conditions to be met. Both series are easily accessible for the purpose of adjustment.

I claim:

1. A wheel comprisinga rigid rim, a rim band on the rim, aplurality of endless flexi- .ble bands arranged concentric with the rim band and in spaced relation, a casing outside the outermost band, said casing having a lateral inwardly extending flange at each side edge and a rubber thread on the peripheral face thereof, and series of tensioning devices between the adjacent bands and between the rim band and the adj aoent band, the members of each series being staggered with respect to the members of the adjacent series, each of the said tensioning devices comprising a sectional casing, a bolt journaled longitudinally of each casing and having its ends oppositely threaded, a wedgeshaped nut on each end of the bolt and having a threaded engagement with the bolt, for moving the said nuts in opposite' direction when the bolt is turned, the bands and the rim band having guideways for the sections of the casing, and a transversely arched plate spring in each guideway of the flexible bands between the guidewayQ and the adjacent casing section.

. 2. In a wheel-having a rigid rim, a tire comprising endless flexible bands concentric with the rim, and means between the rim and the adjacent band and between the bands for varying the resiliency of the said bands, a series of the said means being arranged between the rim and the adjacent band, and a series of the said means being arranged between the bands, the members of one series being staggered with respect to the members of the other series, and each of the said means comprising'a sectional casprising a sectional sely to the plane of the casing being Lediate `-its ends and height toward its t arranged between rd of each casing, y movin the nuts fixed gui eway for g, and a spring bethe iiexible bands sections.

'ER LAMBERT.

ing, a bolt 'ournaled longitudinally of each casing an having its ends oppositely threaded, a wedge-shaped nut threaded on to each end of the bolt, a fixed guideway for each section of each casing, a cushion between each guideway of the iexible bands and the adjacent casing section, each of the said casing sections being of greatest height intermediate its e'nds, and gradually decreasing in height toward its ends, said sections being arranged transverse to the plane of the wheel.

3. In a wheel having a rigid rim, a tire consisting of a iiexible band arranged coaxially with the rim, and a vseries of adjusting devices betweenthe rim and the band for varying the resiliency of the band, 'each of thev said devices comj 'casi-ng Aarranged transver:

the wheel, each section c of greatest height interm decreasing gradually in ends, a Wedge-shaped nul the sections at each en means for simultaneousl in opposite direction, a

eachsection of the casin tween each guideway voi and the adjacent casing HENRY MILL Witnesses:

E. R. ANDERSON D. A. Funk. 

